Matt Starker scored four goals and Eric Heidenberger, Dan Fanelli and Chris MacDonald each added two goals to lead the Villanova Wildcats to an 11-5 Colonial Athletic Association victory over 11th-ranked Hofstra at Shuart Stadium Friday night. The Wildcats improved to 6-3 overall and 2-0 in the CAA while Hofstra falls to 3-6 overall and 0-1 in conference play.

The Pride was led by junior attack Chris Unterstein with two goals and sophomore Athan Ianucci with a goal and an assist. Freshman goalie James Tuohy posted 12 saves in his collegiate debut for the Pride. Starker added an assist for a five point night, while Heidenberger also added an assist to his two goals for the Wildcats. Villanova junior goalie Joe Canuso stopped 17 shots.

After exchanging first quarter goals by Hofstra’s Chris Unterstein at the 5:36 mark and Villanova’s Dan Fanelli 35 seconds later, Hofstra took a 3-1 lead at halftime on second quarter goals by Ianucci, his 10th of the year, and junior John Keysor with his team leading 12th.

Villanova came out firing in the third quarter, taking 17 shots and scoring seven times, despite six saves by Hofstra’s freshman goalie in the period. The Wildcats got unanswered goals by Eric Webber, Chris MacDonald and a man-up goal by Matt Starker to take a 4-3 lead with 6:16 to play in the period. But Hofstra junior midfielder Rob Bonaguro scored his seventh of the season, from 12 yards out, to tie the game at 4-4 with 3:36 to play in the third.

The Wildcats then went on a 7-0 run with Starker scoring three goals and Heidenberger adding two in the spurt to put the game away. Chris Unterstein closed out the scoring with his second of the game and sixth of the year with 1:13 to play in the game for the Pride.

The Pride will travel to Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, on Wednesday, April 6 for a 3 p.m. CAA contest.